Rock Climbing Diet Part 1 – What To Eat BEFORE Climbing

I’d like to think that I’ve always had pretty good eating habits, but it wasn’t until a couple years after I started climbing that I began to focus on how I could improve my climbing performance with proper nutrition.

Have you ever stopped to think about how proper nutrition could help your climbing?

If you’re a climber that serious about improving your climbing then this is something you’ve probably started to give some thought to. The foods and liquids you consume are your fuel, so obviously your body is only going to function at its best if you fuel it properly. But, it’s not just about fueling your body before a climb, during and after your climb are just as important.

This post is Part 1 of a three part series and we’ll look at proper nutrition before climbing. Then in Part 2 and Part 3 we’ll look at proper nutrition during and after climbing.

First let’s understand why nutrition plays such a key role in climbing performance. Your muscles rely on energy stored in your muscles in order to perform as you’d like them too. In climbing, we rely heavily on our forearms, which is the muscle that is usually the first to suffer from exhaustion. Our forearms get so tried because they are in a state of contraction the majority of the time and can’t receive oxygen. When your muscles can’t rely on oxygen to produce energy (aerobic system) they have to rely on the anaerobic system, which generates energy in the absence of oxygen.

Unfortunately the anaerobic system is not nearly as efficient as the aerobic system. Your fuel storage depletes very quickly when your muscles have to rely on the anaerobic system, which means that your muscles will reach exhaustion much faster. So, seeing how quickly your muscles use your stored energy during climbing, I bet you can understand how important it is to properly fill your fuel tank. With proper nutrition you can delay muscle exhaustion and muscle exhaustion is usually the main reason for failure on a climb.

Before a climbing session you should be focusing on hydrating and filling your fuel tank. Hydration is important in improving muscle performance. Even just a slight decrease in hydration can result in a notable decrease in performance. But, hydration is not something you should only be concerned with before a climbing session. If you want your body to operate at an optimal rate at all times, then staying hydrated is something you should focus on every day not just on days you plan to climb.

Maintain hydration by drinking water throughout the day and avoid drinking too much fluid shortly before you start climbing which can make you feel a bit sloshy. It’s also important to gauge your fluid intake based on the weather. If the temperature is expected to be hot and/or humid, then just keep in mind that your fluid loss is going to be greater and occur faster.

Ok, so staying hydrated is a pretty simple concept, it’s the process of properly and efficiently filling your fuel tank that’s a bit more tricky. Basically, muscle fuel comes in the form of glucose and glycogen which your body gets from consuming carbohydrates. Your primary energy source is glucose and glycogen is your secondary energy source. So, in order to increase your muscle endurance and delay the onset of fatigue you want to raise your glucose levels. This will delay the need for your muscles to dip into your glycogen tank, which depletes significantly faster.

If you climb regularly then you should also have a regular consumption of carbohydrates so you can maintain good levels in your fuel tank. Now I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of carbohydrates are best for you to eat. Well, there are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are quickly broken down and absorbed by your body, whereas complex carbohydrates must be broken down into simple sugars first and provide a more gradual energy release. Ideally you want to consume complex carbohydrates at least a couple hours before your climbing session to give your body the time it needs to extract the energy and diet the food. Simple carbohydrates are great in cases where you’ve been stuck at work all day and need a snack that will give you energy fast as you make your way to the gym or crag.

So, what carbohydrates should you choose?

Well, choosing healthy carbohydrates can make a huge difference in not just your energy level but your health. Simple carbohydrates can be found in all fruits, but foods like sweets and soda also contain a great deal of simple carbohydrates. Choosing the healthier fruit option supplies you with the energy you need but also provides your body with nourishment. Energy from foods with added sugars is short lasting and high in fat and offer little nourishment.

There are many complex carbohydrates to choose from. You can find them in starches, grains, and vegetables. Whole grains, root vegetables and dried beans are excellent sources that are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. Non-starchy vegetables are also great energizers that are rich in nutrients and fiber, and even though they provide less carbohydrates than starchy vegetables, they do wonders for your health.

Now, as a climber the last thing you want to do is feel heavy and weigh yourself down so you want to stick to foods that are light. Having a big bowl of pasta shortly before your climbing session is probably not the best idea. On climbing days, plan your meals according to your schedule. This makes it much easier to make sure you are supplying your body with the energy it will need for you to get out and send!

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About the author

Cristina Lizarazo: Hi! I’m Cristina, a certified yoga instructor with a special interest in athletes and a certified as a Holistic Sports Nutrition Specialist.
I believe that integrating yoga, nutrition, and mindset with sports specific training is the best way to develop a strong mind and body that will serve as the foundation to not just become a stronger athlete, but more importantly, a better one!
My mission is to help mindful athletes, from weekend warriors to professional athletes, unlock their true athletic potential so that they can conquer the crux!!

8 Comments

This was very helpful. Climbing is pretty new to me, but I'm enjoying more and more sessions lately. The only issue I've been having is finding the time to eat, as I usually go climbing after work. What snacks would you recommend? at the moment I'm filling up on pasta for lunch and grabbing a banana before training, but I still find I use my energy up quickly within the first 20 minutes.

Hi William! It might be that your body is still adapting to the new demands of climbing. I'm sure you've experienced that climbing targets areas that you've never really used before! If you find that you're still burning out quick when you go climbing you're body may be lacking in energy. If you're going climbing straight from work, your fuelling meal should be your lunch. Try and incorporate foods like quinoa, sweet potatoes, lentils, nuts, seeds, and colourful vegetables. Then from lunch until about an hour before climbing snack and drink lots of water. Nut and seed butters (like pumpkin, almond, or peanut) are great on apples or with banana, trail mix and yogurt with fruit and a bit of granola are all good options. If you like prepping your own snacks try making a batch of energy balls that you can leave in your fridge and pack to work. Simple recipes usually include a mixture of a nut butter (like almond) with oats, shredded coconut, chia seeds, a bit of maple syrup, vanilla extract and some chocolate chips!

Sunny

GreT article! I must say I have similar problems to Amy's. After hard climbing session,next day I am dealing with like flu like symptoms, muscles aches,feeling very weak and tired. I am trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. I was thinking about protein.shakes after session but not really sure if it is good idea.

Tom

Thank you for this, I've just switched diet to no meat and its been 8 months now although I still eat seafood, milk and eggs. My usual diet nowadays are corn, beetroot, kale cooked in coconut milk and rice but for some reason, I'm having a hard time bouldering and I get burned out so fast. I used to flash V4's and V3's now I feel like I'm climbing a V10 with the same V3's and V4's... would you think this is diet related? or just plain old age I am now 37 going 38...

Old age!? No way ;) Is diet the only thing that's changed? Are you still climbing with the same frequency and intensity? Food is fuel, so if you're feeling tired you may not be fueling your body sufficiently. It could very well be diet related, but there are also other factors that could be culprits like sleep or certain illnesses.

Amy

Love this! I tend to get sick with flu-like symptoms (muscle aches, fever, nausea, body chills and sweats) when I workout or climb to hard. I've been Vegan for 7 yrs and eat very well. I may not be eating the right foods before, in between, or immediately afterwards. I also love beer and have been trying to limit that before or after climbing. If you have any other suggestions, I'm very much open to them! Thanks in advance!

Thanks Amy :) Sorry hear you've been experiencing those types of symptoms. Sounds like you may need to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Do you find you eat enough before your workouts/climbing? You might need to eat more, like having a big carb focused meal 3-4 hours before, and then light snacking throughout your workout/climbing session, especially if the session is longer than 60-90 minutes. Hydration is also another big one. Drink water all the time (before, during, after) so that you are always adequately hydrated.

I'll do some research into this and create a post for you that will hopefully be more thorough and helpful.

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